Pink dog poo: A waste of time or keeping children safe?

Hayley O'Keeffe

A novel way to encourage dog owners to pick up after their pets has made for an interesting sight on two housing estates.

Parish councils in Watermead and Fairford Leys have taken to spraying dog faeces by with a neon pink, blue or yellow spray.

They say that the spray disinfects the area, helps the mess to biodegrade and shames the dog owners.

But some feel that the move is unsightly, and the brightly coloured poo only adds to the problem.

One Watermead resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “While most people understand the well-intentioned idea behind it, it all seems like a bit of a waste of time and money.

“Residents feel that the council is wasting its time on things like spraying dog poo when there are bigger fish to fry.”

Watermead Parish Council chairman Sue Severn said: “Dog poo left lying on pavements is deeply unhygienic, it threatens children as there are diseases you can catch from dog poo.”

She added: “People are entitled to their opinion, but we are trying to raise awareness and keep Watermead safe. It is very important that we do all we can to stop people doing this.

“There has been an improvement and we genuinely think that if we plug away at it the situation will improve.”

And councillor Steven Lambert, who represents Fairford Leys says that the sprays are having a big impact on that estate too.

He said: “People may not like it but it’s better than walking in dog poo.

“The spray neutralizes harmful bacteria and breaks down the poo. We still have people allowing their dogs to poo and not picking it up. It’s Poogate, and this will shame them. There are local government bylaws but we are trying this first.

“The spray is also safer, if your child is playing in the street they are less likely to touch a brightly coloured poo.”